The National Transportation Safety Board has voted to recommend that states ban the use of cellphones while driving. This controversial decision has some people upset and others pleased, believing that banning the use of cellphones will reduce the risk of accidents. We believe that cellphone use can absolutely pose a risk to safe driving, but that it doesn't have to. Through a mix of studies, statistics, and often-ignored common sense, we can help you drive safer without giving up the use of your cellphone. Here's how.

Important Safety Note: You are responsible for your own safety. This article is designed to help you drive more safely, but obviously isn't a guarantee that you'll never get in another accident again. While these tips should work well for most people, it's important to assess what is and isn't safe for you specifically. If talking on the phone while driving may cause a significant distraction for you, for example, you shouldn't do it. Others may not have that problem. Be honest with yourself about what is the safest course of action for you to take, even if it means you shouldn't use your cellphone at all.

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What Studies and Statistics Believe to Be Dangerous While Driving

A Car and Driver study found that texting while driving can slow your reaction times more than alcohol. Another study from the University of Utah shows that talking on the phone will impair your driving ability just the same, whether you're using a hands-free headset or not. The problem isn't that your hands aren't on the wheel, but that your mind isn't on the road. The common argument against the dangers of talking on the phone while driving is that it's not believed to be unsafe to talk to passengers who are physically in the car, but there's a reason that's considered a much lower risk. Also in the study from the University of Utah, a passenger is believed to offer a second set of eyes to see what the driver might miss. This helps to somewhat negate the distraction of conversation:

[W]hen you take a look at the data, it turns out that a driver conversing with a passenger is not as impaired a driver talking on a cell phone," he says. "You see bigger lane deviations for someone talking on a cell phone compared with a driver talking to a passenger. You also find when there is a passenger in the car, almost everyone takes the exit. But half the people talking on the cell phone fail to take the exit."

Strangely, I've had the opposite experience. I've been driving for over a decade and have been in two accidents, both of which were caused because I was distracted by a passenger. (The same passenger, in fact.) On the other hand, I talk on my phone (using a headset) frequently and have never been in an accident for that reason. I actually have a much harder time paying attention to the conversation than I do to the road, so I've always been a little skeptical of the claims that everybody is impaired by conversation. For me, it's not much different than listening to music, an audiobook, or a podcast. When I'm on the phone I miss my exits and get lost less, whereas things get much worse with actual people. While I'm sure it's at least mildly safer to drive in silence with nothing but your mind on the road, that assumes that your thoughts won't wander and your passengers are essentially ghosts. We're always going to have distractions and, realistically, your cellphone is going to be one of them. You'll have to decide what you believe is the safest choice (as using your phone is believed to be unsafe for the large majority of people), but in the following sections we'll offer some tips to try to minimize distractions should you choose to use your phone while driving.

Configure Your Phone for Safer Driving

The most important thing to remember is that your eyes need to be on the road whenever possible. Obviously you can't see everything behind you, in front of you, and to your sides at all times, you have to blink, check your current speed, and occasionally glance away from the road for a brief moment for a variety of reasons. That said, you're going to get yourself into trouble if you're adding additional distractions when operating a moving vehicle. Most of us know this, but we tend to neglect safety to answer a text message or call because it feels urgent. To avoid these distractions, it's best to set up your phone to make sure you don't even know they're happening.

Silence your phone while driving to avoid hearing text messages that will distract you. You want to answer a text or call because you're aware of it, so don't let yourself know. If you don't respond immediately, the world is not going to end.

Do everything on screen before you depart. If you feel it's safe enough for you to make a call on your cellphone (and it's legal where you're driving), start the call before you depart. If you're listening to music, set up and start your playlist before you leave. The same goes for your GPS, your audiobooks and podcasts, and anything else you plan to do to help you get to your destination or just avoid boredom in the car. If you set everything up ahead of time you won't need to look at your phone's screen which means you can keep your eyes on the road at all possible times.

Buy a headset or use remote control functionality to change the music on your phone and answer calls. Again, the key is to not look at the screen or interact with it in any way. If you have a little button hanging from your ear or integrated with your vehicle's dashboard or wheel you can change songs without the need to look around. Some cars even come with voice-activated systems so you can simply say what you want. Any of those options can keep you from interacting with your phone directly.

Put your phone in a case or sleeve so you can't see the screen. Don't make it easy to use your phone while driving. If it's difficult to get to, hopefully you won't bother. If you're the type of person who will go through the trouble, however, you might consider not using your phone in the car at all.

If you can minimize your distractions you should find it much easier to pay attention to the road and drive safely without ditching your cellphone. If you've got any other handy tips for keeping cellphone distractions to a minimum, share 'em in the comments.